Bhushan, Arundhati share dais for arrested journalist

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, a key member of Team Anna, on Wednesday shared the dais with writer and activist Arundhati Roy less than a month after she had attacked the Gandhian’s anti-graft movement. HT reports.

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, a key member of Team Anna, on Wednesday shared the dais with writer and activist Arundhati Roy less than a month after she had attacked the Gandhian’s anti-graft movement.

Bhushan addressed a press conference to demand the release of a Chhattisgarh-based journalist, Lingaram Kodopi, arrested on charges of collecting funds for Maoists.

Roy was seated on the dais with lawyer Vrinda Grover and social worker Himanshu Kumar when Bhushan slammed the Chhattisgarh government for targeting a tribal youth and trying to frame him on false charges.

Linga Ram was arrested on September 9. “It is the classic case of witch-hunt by the Chhattisgarh government of a tribal youth who managed to empower himself.” Roy criticised the Centre for its approach in dealing with the tribals living in Naxal-infested areas.

Neither Roy nor Bhushan mentioned their differences on the Hazare movement. “The issue of the press conference was the release of the tribal youth,” Bhushan later said.